Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
American, 1927-2007
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Clifton Karhu was one of the most acclaimed American woodblock artists to work in Japan. Though the son of two painters and artistically inclined from an early age, Karhu joined the military. Stationed at the American Navy base in Sasebo from 1946 to 1948, he fell in love with Japan. Upon his return to the United States, he attended the Minneapolis Art School (1950-1952) before returning to Japan in 1952, this time as a missionary of the Lutheran church. From Hiroshima to Kyoto, he and his wife sold bibles until he became disillusioned with the mission. Settling in Gifu prefecture, he returned to art, working in oils and watercolor. Karhu’s reputation grew swiftly, winning first prize at the Middle Pacific Art Group Exhibition, and held his first solo exhibition at Shin Gifu Gallery. In 1963, Karhu moved to Kyoto. Immersed in the city’s vibrant artistic community, he began a successful career in woodblock printmaking. His self-carved and self-printed works portray traditional style houses and architectural details. Deeply expressive, yet precise and geometric, Karhu's style earned him enormous popularity worldwide.When asked about his medium, he states: “In Kyoto the vertical and horizontal lines of the tile roofs and the latticed windows strike a special harmony, like something alive. In my prints of Kyoto, I always strive to express this human warmth. Since wood accounts for much of Kyoto’s beauty, it may also be the best way that beauty can be expressed - through woodblock prints.”to
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Artist: Clifton Karhu
Shrine, wood block print, Japan, yellow, brown, black, graphic, Karhu
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Shrine, wood block print, Japan, yellow, brown, black, graphic, Karhu
Category
1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Driftwood
Clifton Karhu Original Color Woodblock, 1974, Koshihata Autumn
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This beautiful, limited edition original color woodblock is by the famous
Showa Shin Hanga woodblock master Clifton Karhu (1927-2007).
It bears the original frame and has a label on the back from a Tokyo gallery.
The work is a beautiful impression with rich color. It and the frame are in excellent condition.
The print measures 16 x 16 inches. The frame is 23 ½ x 23 ½ inches.
It is numbered lower left as AP5 - Artist Proof #5 and is pencil signed and dated ‘74 lower right.
An American of Finnish descent, Clifton Karhu was born in Minnesota in 1927. Raised together with his twin brother Raymond, Karhu was the son of painters Arne and Anna Karhu. After his graduation in 1946 he served in the military at an American Navy base in Japan.
Returning to America following his military service in 1950, Karhu enrolled at the Minneapolis School of Art but quit two years later to pursue missionary work as a Lutheran minister.
Karhu left the missionary work in 1958 and chose to move his new family to Gifu City, a small provincial town northwest of Kyoto, Japan where he set about returning to his art. Karhu soon found local success in 1961; obtaining first prize at the Chubu Taiheijo Bijutsu Kyokai Ten (The Middle Pacific Art Group Exhibition) and fixing his first single, professional exhibition at the Shin Gifu Gallery.
In hopes of providing their three children with an international education, Karhu settled in Kyoto in 1963. The next few years proved heavily influential in Karhu’s work. Arguably forming the foundation for all his future success, Karhu found tutelage under recognized woodblock artist and gallery owner Tetsuo Yamada and colour theorist Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Responsible for shifting Karhu’s artistic doubts, Karhu proceeded to fulfill a very successful career in woodblock printing - carving his own works largely by himself.
Clifton Karhu passed away in 2007 after an illustrious career that saw him viewed and celebrated as a local Kyoto celebrity, as well as having exhibited widely in many countries around the world. His woodblock prints have been collected by many famous museums including the Tokyo Modern Art...
Category
Late 20th Century Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Paper
Tahiti
By Clifton Karhu
Located in New York, NY
Signed, titled, and dated.
Color woodblock print.
Category
1960s Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Woodcut
Cake Shop, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, red, yellow, black, framed, Japan
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Cake Shop, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, red, yellow, black, framed, Japan
hand signed and numbered
Category
1990s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Paper
Koshihata Snow, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, white, Japan, framed, signed
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Koshihata Snow, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, white, Japan, framed, signed 1975
hand signed and numbered
Category
1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Paper
Shoji, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, round, framed, brown, white, yellow
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Shoji, woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, round, framed, brown, white, yellow
framed woodblock print
hand signed and numbered by the artist
Category
1990s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Prints and Multiples
Materials
Paper
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Clifton Karhu prints and multiples for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Clifton Karhu prints and multiples available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Clifton Karhu in paper, driftwood, wood and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Clifton Karhu prints and multiples, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of April Gornik, Tony Bennett, and Hughie Lee-Smith. Clifton Karhu prints and multiples prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,060 and tops out at $3,500, while the average work can sell for $3,500.